” I have been a patient of Dr. Gutt and his outstanding team for more than 15 years. I had some issues at the time of my initial visit and between the exam, cleaning, and treatment I received, I knew I chose wisely when selecting South Florida Periodontal. Dr. Gutt is extremely competent and always provides completely detailed explanations on treatment, follow-up care, and patient self-care. His entire staff has remained intact the entire time, and they are a model of consistency, dependability, and integrity, with a genuine personal touch. This was reaffirmed after a dental procedure I needed while on an extended trip out of state. With little time to search, I ended up at one of those “factory” dental offices in that city. There was simply no comparison. “
Types of Extractions
There are two forms of extraction: simple and surgical extractions.
Simple extractions are performed on teeth that can be seen in the mouth. They are removed due to decay or injury and are usually performed under a local anesthetic. During this procedure, Dr. Gutt will grasp the tooth with forceps and loosen it by moving the forceps back and forth. The loosened tooth will then easily come out. Dr. Gutt also is now using a newer instrument called the Physics Forcep that allows for even easier and faster extraction.
Surgical extractions are performed on teeth that have broken off at the gum line or that have not yet come in (ie: wisdom teeth). To remove the tooth, Dr. Gutt will have to cut to the area. This is necessary so that he can see the tooth that needs to be removed. Surgical extractions are usually done with local anesthesia.
Reasons for Tooth Extraction
The most common reason for removal of a tooth is severe decay or breakage of a tooth. However, teeth may also be removed because of:
- Severe tooth decay or infection
- Extra teeth that are blocking other teeth from growing in
- Severe gum disease
- To make room for orthodontic treatment
- The tooth can not be restored endodontically
- Fractured teethTo make room for a dental prosthesis (i.e.: bridge or denture)
- Cosmetic reasons
Regardless of the reasons a tooth must be pulled, extraction is usually reserved only for cases in which no other treatment option will cure the infection or problem.